Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Cuz I know you don't read the newspapers

Check this out.
It's an article in the latest New Yorker about Aaron MacGruder and The Boondocks.
Very revealing. I learned that
a) my suspicions were correct: MacGruder doesn't even draw it anymore. Jim davis anyone?
b) while giving a speech he once grabbed his balls and challenged Eric Alterman to a fight.
c) while Boondocks may not be as good as it used to be...I still love it.
Why? He hates Bil Keane and Mort Walker as much as I do.
If that's not reason enough to let him pass then you don't know your comics.
Now for something completely different:

Too Much Singin' In Hip-Hop

I don't think I'll be checking for that new Dialated Peoples album. Upon hearing the song I must say:
Please, quit this singin' shit in Hip-Hop.
I don't know what it is about these underground artists that start off as underground-battle-rhymin'-let's change-the-world kinda Mc's and then in the course of 3 albums they got mufuckahs singin all syrupy over a chorus:
"I can't live my life I can't live my life...dah dah dah...this waaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy"
*GROAN*
Now I know Kanye West produced this beat and Talib Kweli's "Get By" and I gotta ask:
Why did Dialated Peoples have to remake Get By?
I mean, c'mon, same content in both: It's time for me to stop gettin high and drinkin so I can tend to my own business and start becoming something. Oh and I got some girls to sing my chorus so it sounds pretty.
Look, I agree with the sentiment...there are too many people livin' their life wrong but do you need to make a song twice about it? I mean, does Kanye West come in and go:
"Yo, I got this beat, and it's all about how we need to start bein more responsible."
some studio guy is like:
"Yeah, I heard that song, it's called Talib Queli's "Get By" and the rest of that album made me want to stop listening to him. Too much goddamn singing all over that shit. Is that what this beat is gonna sound like too?"
Kanye: "yes, but this beat has flutes on it."

I dunno, I guess I'm conflicted. I mean I like Dialated Peoples but it just seems like a blatant attempt to crossover and get that mainstream appeal. I mean, Evidence, the dude who was pictured in the liner to his last album, surrounded by jars of weed, is going to tell me to quit smokin herb in his first verse on the new single?
Uhhhh no thanks pal.
So Imma wait until I hear this album but for now I bet I will feel the same way about it as I did "Quality".
Dissapointment. Great lyrics. Too much syrupy singin. If I wanted that I'd listen to some R & B.
The two should not mix.
But on another note, "Get By" sampled Nina Simone, and I just picked up a vinyl copy of "Let It All Out" the other day for three dollars. Ah, god bless you flea-market-record-seller-man.
I also picked up Milt Jacksons "SunFlower(s ?)" for 5 bucks. Well worth it.
I will listen to these now and get blazed.
God I love my days off even though it's always nasty and rainy outside.
I guess that just means more time to write and draw.
Which is fine by me.
out.